Robot technologies finding their ways in modern appliances and cars. Smart grid is the next hot thing.

Hardware with software kits are available for literally just a few dollars to build your own embedded systems. Micro-chips are becoming smaller and smaller, more powerful and less expensive; the possibilities are endless!

Without going into the details of the all the various Hot Topics and solutions displayed— see eetimes.com, embedded.com, hackaday.com, etc., etc. — I just want to add a few of my favorite highlights:

Display of the original German (WW-II era) ENIGMA, a sophisticated coding machine, fully functional, and not under glass. Thank you, cryptography.com!

The „SpeedCuber“ — built from a LEGO Mindstorms Robot kit and the program logic and camera of the Motorola Droid, communicating via Blue Tooth — that solved the Rubik’s Cube in just a few minutes. Demos at the ARM pavilion, arm.com.

Badges now sporting RFID; quite a common trend now.

EE Times coordinated the treasure hunts: you’d follow in TWITTER @esc_blast, and the tweets (forwarded as SMS to your mobile phone) included instructions what to do and where and how, with the first person to win the prize.

Well, I won a few prices (only a handful folks seem to use TWITTER?); one of my favorites as broadcast by EE Times:

Next year we will see more solutions in the nano and DNA-like technology, further miniaturizing system and computer components. The (customized) chip will be in the size of a fingernail and more powerful than a PC eight years ago.

Blue Tooth and RFID gaining momentum. Fiber-Channel and fiber-optics are becoming essential for high-speed data communication. Wireless USB, USB 3.0, SATA 6 then SATA 12, SAS 6 are available now or are in the process to be finalized, respectively.

Smart phones and touch screen systems will provide applications currently not thought off. BTW, as to smart phones: Yes, you’d still be able to place and receive telephone calls!